The Swimmer

Stepping off the Avensa flight onto the bright and cool gray terminal, Maria Venegas, accompanied by her husband and one-year old baby, drops her bags to the floor and shouts, “Hello Miami, we are here and we are going to stay!” This was the scene on a warm May day in 1996 as my parents and I arrived to the United States with three months’ worth of money and an incomparable determination to build a new life. I do not remember the moment, nor was I even remotely aware of what was going on in my…

Everyone goes through things in life that block their way or are a hindrance to moving forward. Whether it’s stopping them from reaching a personal goal, or if it is a constant struggle through everyday life obstacles make life challenging. These barriers bring a certain level of difficulty or disadvantage in reaching those goals. Some examples of obstacles that people might face might include financial strains, loss of a loved one, mental blocks, or a even a disability. Although it may seem as…

With all of the madness going on in this day and age, the only way to stay current on the happenings of the world is to watch the news and hope for the best. Television has helped citizens remain informed on the world around them. Viewers can visit other countries, explore different cultures, and learn things they never would have been able to from the comfort of their La-Z-Boy recliner. The troubling mystery is if the media is trustworthy or not. Most would assume yes. Of course the news media…

Picture yourself stranded on a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean. Would you attempt to save yourself and everyone on board or completely give up on the idea of escaping this tragedy? Would you expect help to come for you or step up and try to lead everyone to safety yourself? Luckily, in the short story “The Open Boat” written by Stephen Crane, he answers these questions in his writing that is about four crew members on a boat that have found themselves faced with this exact dilemma. This…

Diaspora, the term, derived from the Greek for ‘scattering of seeds’, it is used to describe population immigration and dispersal (voluntary and involuntary). Originally used to refer to the Jewish peoples’ forced exile from Israel (as it is now known) in the pre-Christian era and their subsequent removals from Spain, Portugal, and Russia, where they had resided for well over a thousand years, diaspora is now used to refer to virtually any mass migration.(Oxford Dictionary of Critical Theory.…

necessarily achieved by reading Fiction stories or not? Well, this is something one could argue upon – in favor or against of reading fiction stories. I read a few fiction stories this semester including “What you pawn I will Redeem”, “The Lottery”, “The Swimmers”, “The UFO”, “ I‘m a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy” and came across few themes such as tradition, generosity, self-deception, homelessness, quest, love, society, etc. But in accordance to my thoughts and imagination it isn’t…

Every student in America must make joining a sports team one of their priority. Sports can make a students grades higher and make them a better person overall. Athletes have better grades and athletes have lower dropout rates than non-athletes. Being an athlete takes a lot of hard work and adding school to that does not make it easier than it is. The 3 p’s is always implemented when playing sports. Patience is one of the most important thing to have in the world today. If you are not patient you…

Over the years, Under Armour has made a name for itself among the top sportswear companies around the world. It started in 1996 and rapidly grew into the reliable well-known brand we are familiar with today. Under Armour now makes sportswear for all sports and apparel for casual situations as well. They endorse professional athletes in numerous different sports in order to express their variety of clothing and accessories. Under Armour has also been known for sponsor reality television shows,…

The Asian Leopard Cat is a small wildcat that can be found in several regions of East and South Asia. There are more than 10 different subspecies of this cat depending on where they live. Most of these subspecies are threatened by loss of hunting areas and natural habitat. Description These cats are the most distant relative of the Leopard and are of similar size to the cats that you find in most homes. The male cats are bigger than the female cats and they weigh in around 5.2 to 8.4 lb. They…

Sometimes it was the diving board. Sometimes it was a game of sharks and minnows. Today it had been a breathing technique. The goal of the exercise was to swim a full lap without taking a breath. I watched the first girl, an experienced swimmer, swim like a fish to the other end of the pool and back without breathing. I thought that I could do it; in fact I was determined that I could do it. I reasoned that in the past, I had been determined about different challenges and succeeded: the…